Online Colleges in Virginia

Overview of Online Colleges in Virginia

Virginia Department of Education’s Virtual Virginia program provides online Advanced Placement (AP) courses and elective courses to students across the state and nation. This program offers distance learning opportunities for students who need a flexible schedule and some courses that are otherwise not available in a classroom setting.

According to the VDOE, the Code of Virginia allows schools to offer online courses to students by collaborating with private organizations, educational institutions and nonprofit virtual school organizations that have been approved by the superintendent of public instruction to operate as an online provider. VDOE provides an extensive list of approved providers and information on virtual school courses offered throughout Virginia. Many colleges in Virginia now offer some form of distance learning, including Virginia Tech, which offers over 13 online master’s degree programs and online certificates. Old Dominion University also offers over 70 distance degree programs.

Tuition costs in Virginia have experienced a spike in recent years. Between 2004 and 2014, tuition increased 70% at public two-year schools, and 55% at public four-year schools. Inflation costs can be partially credited to a 24.6% decrease in state funding for higher education between 2008 and 2014. Despite steady tuition inflation in recent years, enrollment continues to rise in Virginia. Between 2002 and 2012, enrollment increased 26% at public schools in Virginia, slightly higher than the 19% national average increase.

A report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found that although Virginia public schools enroll fewer students, those students are graduating at a faster pace than in other states, which also keeps the cost of higher education down. Virginia has the 3rd highest graduation rate in the nation, with an overall 70.5% graduation rate at public four-year schools and an 86.5% first-year student retention rate.

For more information on Virginia’s top online degree programs, consult our extensive school database. Find information on scholarships and financial assistance tools in the college savings section below.

Top Featured Schools

Capella is an accredited online university dedicated to providing an exceptional, professionally-aligned education that puts you in the best position to succeed in your field. Capella's challenging curriculum is competency-based, combining foundational theory with real-world application, to ensure our students receive a high-quality education.

As a Keiser University student, you will learn degree-specific theory and gain valuable experience on key technologies to prepare you for a career ahead. Keiser University offers over 100 different doctoral through associate degrees in a variety of health care, business, information technology, culinary arts, legal studies, and education fields.

Additional Resources

Official State Links

College Savings

Virginia529 inVEST: This is Virginia’s direct-sold portfolio of stocks and bonds for individuals who wish to save money for higher education.There are two portfolio types: age based and non-evolving portfolios.

Virginia529 prePAID: This plan is for Virginia children from newborn to ninth grades; this plan allows account owners to pre-pay tuition and fees on two pricing tiers. There are limited enrollment periods for the Virginia529 prePAID plan.

Education Nonprofits

The Virginia Network for Women in Higher Education: This is the Virginia chapter of the American Council on Education Women’s Network. The organization’s goals are to promote women’s leadership in higher education and create an educational climate in which women can participate with men equally.

Virginia Latino Higher Education Network: A network of Latino and non-Latino faculty and administrators in public and private colleges, to mentor Latino students. The group works with community partners for outreach on Latino issues and barriers to higher education.

Higher Education News

SCHEV Research Blogs: Blogs from the State Commission on Higher Education for Virginia’s research department cover policy and news in the state’s higher education world.